Two West Virginia National Guard members were ambushed and shot near the White House last week, leaving one young servicewoman dead and the other fighting for his life. This sickening attack took place at Farragut Square and should shock every American who still believes our nation can protect those who protect us.
Governor Patrick Morrisey reported a sliver of hope when the surviving guardsman, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, managed to give a thumbs up and wiggle his toes in response to medical staff, a small sign that the fight in him continues. Americans should rally behind this brave young man and his grieving comrades — men and women who volunteered to serve in our capital.
The alleged shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021 through programs tied to our wartime evacuations, according to reporting. The details of this suspect’s background and the troubling possibility that he radicalized here at home expose the blunt truth about failures in vetting and resettlement that the political class keeps sweeping under the rug.
Remember how President Trump called for National Guard support in Washington earlier this year to restore safety to Democrat-run streets? West Virginia sent volunteers who were deputized and armed while serving — patriots who answered a call to defend American citizens and our capital. The contrast between the courageous Guard on the ground and the paper?thin excuses from city and federal officials is stark and damning.
Instead of honoring these troops, much of the establishment media immediately reached for their usual playbook: politicize, blame conservatives, and smear anyone who suggested the obvious lessons about borders and vetting. That disgusting reflex to weaponize tragedy against defenders of law and order only deepens the contempt everyday Americans feel for the legacy press.
What must follow this horror is not more virtue signaling but hard policy: tougher screening, accountability for resettlement programs that leave Americans at risk, and a real plan to defend our cities with trained forces, not empty rhetoric. If leftist leaders continue to prioritize optics and donor interests over the safety of everyday citizens and uniformed service members, more families will pay a price they shouldn’t have to.
Pray for Staff Sgt. Wolfe, grieve for the fallen soldier, and stand with the National Guard families whose lives have been upended while they did their duty. Demand justice, demand secure borders, and demand that our elected leaders stop playing politics with the safety of Americans and start protecting those who wear the uniform.
